Battery powered toys

ABSTRACT

A battery powered toy or model in which the battery compartment is formed as a cylinder comprising at least two telescopically inter-engaging or nesting tubes, a first tube being located in the body of the toy and carrying a first electrical switch contact and a second tube carrying a second electrical switch contact, the arrangement being such that rotation of the said second tube on or in the first tube causes the contact to engage so as to operate the motor of the toy.

. Unlted States Patent 1 [111 3,793,769 ng 1 Feb. 26, 1974 1 BATTERY POWERED TOYS 3,046,697 7/162 Pullen 46/243 MV 3,777,173 11/1969 Mabuchi 46/243 MV 7 3,528,195 9/1970 Cooper 46/243 MV [73] Assignee: Playart Limited, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Primary Examiner-Luis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting 16, 1973 [2-2] Flled Feb Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hyman Hurvitz [21] Appl. No.: 333,021

O [57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar 2 1972 Great Britain 9 881/72 A battery powered toy or model in which the battery compartment is formed as a cylinder comprising at 52 US. Cl. 46 243 MV 46 93, 200 60 t teleswpicany imemngaging i511 Int. Cl 1863b 23104 tubes, first tube being mated the my ['58] Field of Search 46/243 M 243 MV 226 228 and carrying a first electrical switch contact and a sec- 200/66 ond tube carrying a second electrical switch contact, the arrangement being such that rotation of the said [56] References Cited second tube on or in the first tube causes the contact 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS to engage so as to operate the motor of the toy.

3,000,128 9/1961 McAda 46/243 MV Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 2 /a 22 i 221: 2a a 24 1 152 i [T W F1 4 2 '1.1 o o I 'fi'III U 5 U 1 i i /4? Firm L 1 1 BATTERY POWERED TOYS This invention relates to battery powered toys or models and particularly to switching arrangements for the motors of such models.

According to the invention the battery compartment of a battery powered toy or model is formed as a cylinder comprising at least two telescopically interengaging or nesting tubes, a first tube being located in the body of the toy and carrying a first electrical switch contact and a second tube carrying a second electrical switch contact, the arrangement being such that rotation of the said second tube on or in the first tube causes the contacts to engage so as to operate the motor of the toy.

The contact of the first tube preferably extends to the outside of thebattery compartment to make contact with a first terminal of the motor, and the first tube preferably also carries a contact-for a first terminal of the battery which extends from the tube to make contact with a second terminal of the motor.

The contact in the second tube is preferably also arranged to make contact with a second terminal of the battery.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention which is a toy boat, the battery compartment forms a dummy funnel and extends through the deck of the boat into the hull where the motor is located, and the contacts for the motor terminals are arranged to extend from the lower end of the compartment. This arrangement enables the battery to be kept well clear of the water.

Another advantage of this arrangement is that the electrical apparatus can easily be satsifactorily sealed against the entry of water.

The invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partly broken away side elevation of a toy boat in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar partial view to that of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section in the line Ill III of FIG. 2; and,

FIG. 4 is a section on the line IV IV of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, the boat 2 comprises a hull 4, containing a motor 5, a deck 6 and superstructure 8, The hull includes a central recess 10 into which a propeller 12 attached to the motor shaft projects and a rudder 14 is mounted at the extreme end of the recess.

A funnel 16 is mounted in the superstructure 8 in an aperture 17 as detailed below and comprises a tubular body 18 which forms the first tube of the battery compartment having a wall 20 extending across its internal cross-section. A contact strip 22 extends across the inner surface of the wall 20 and thence along the length of the internal surface 24 of the tube to its lower end- 26. A coiled contact spring 28, is mounted on the wall 20 and connected to the contact strip 22.

A spigot 30 extends outwardly from the lower edge of the tube 18 at the termination of contact strip 22 so as to engage with a rebate 32 in the lower edge of a skirt 34 formed in the aperture 17 of the superstructure. A small rebate 36 is also formed in the edge of the aperture 17, so as to allow the spigot 30 to pass through to enable removal of the tube 18, which is shown in FIG. 1 in a partly inserted position in which the spigot 30 is just entering the rebate 36.

A battery 38 is held beneath the tubular body 18 in a second tube 40 which extends upwardly from inside the hull 4 of the boat, as explained below, through an aperture 42 in the deck which is formed with an upwardly-extending skirt 44 to engage with the tube 40. The upper end 46 of the battery is contacted, and the battery retained by coil spring 28 when the tube 18 is in position, as shown in FIG. 2, in which the tube 18 has been depressed and rotated so that the spigot 30 is engaged in the rebate 32 of the skirt 34.

The inner surface of the tube 18 fits over the outer surface of the skirt 44, which in turn fits around the tube as mentioned above. The tube 40 carries on its inner surface a contact strip 48 which extends from its lower end 50, where it is arranged to contact a terminal of the motor (FIG. 4) to the upper end 52 where it is bent over the edge of the tube so that its end portion 54 extends down the outside, and is held in position by the skirt 44.

Contact strip 22, on the internal surface of the tube 18, is formed with a kink 56 in a vertical position corresponding to that of the end portion 54 of the contact strip 48. Thus when the tubular portion is rotated through 90 from the position in which it can be inserted through aperture 17, the spigot 30 andcontact strip 22 correspond in angular position with the contact strip 48 and the kink 56 in strip 22 touches the strip 48 see FIGS. 2-and 3.

The electrical circuit is thus completed via contact spring 28 at the upper end 58 of the battery (negative terminal), contact strip 22, contact strip 48 whose lower end contacts one terminal of the motor, and a further contact strip 60 which extends from the other motor terminal to the interior of the base of the battery compartment (as explained below) so as to make contact with the other (positive) battery terminal 62, FIG. 4.

As shown best in FIG. 4, the motor 5 is contained in a generally rectangular compartment 64 inside the hull which is closed by a lid 66 to which is attached the upwardly extending second tube 40 of the battery compartment. The battery 38 is inserted into the tube 40 with its positive tenninal downwards and rests on the outer surface of the lid 66 which carries one end 68 of the contact strip 60, the other end, 70, of which extends through the lid so as to make contact with the motor terminal 72. The lower end 50 of the contact strip 48 extends through the lid 66 to make contact with the other motor terminal 74.

What we claim is:

l. A battery powered toy or model comprising a motor mounted in the body;

drive means mounted in the body and connected to the motor; and a battery compartment mounted in which comprises:

a first tube mounted in the body of the toy;

a second tube rotatably mounted in the body coaxial with said first tube;

a first electrical switch contact mounted on the perimeter of said first tube;

a second electrical switch contact mounted on the perimeter of said second tube;

whereby on rotation of said second tube relative to said first tube, an electrical connection is made between the two said contacts.

2. A battery powered toy according to claim 1 further comprising:

the body an aperture in the body, surrounding the first tube, to

receive the second tube; a rebate in the edge of the aperture; and a projection at the end of the tube, whereby the second tube can be inserted in the aperture over the first tube and rotated to retain it in the body. 3. A battery powered toy according to claim 2 in which the toy is a boat and the second tube fans a dummy funnel.

4. A battery powered toy according to claim 2, further comprising:

a motor compartment; the first tube being mounted on the motor compartment;

a pair of contacts extending from the interior of the battery compartment to the interior of the motor compartment;

a first of the said pair of contacts being arranged to contact a terminal of a battery inserted in the compartment and the second of the pair of contacts being connected to the first switch contact. 5. A battery powered toy according to claim 4 further comprising:

a further contact mounted on the said second tube, for contact with a second terminal of the battery; and a connection between the said further contact,

and the second switch contact. a 1: 

1. A battery powered toy or model comprising a body; a motor mounted in the body; drive means mounted in the body and connected to the motor; and a battery compartment mounted in the body which comprises: a first tube mounted in the body of the toy; a second tube rotatably mounted in the body coaxial with said first tube; a first electrical switch contact mounted on the perimeter of said first tube; a second electrical switch contact mounted on the perimeter of said second tube; whereby on rotation of said second tube relative to said first tube, an electrical connection is made between the two said contacts.
 2. A battery powered toy according to claim 1 further comprising: an aperture in the body, surrounding the first tube, to receive the second tube; a rebate in the edge of the aperture; and a projection at the end of the tube, whereby the second tube can be inserted in the aperture over the first tube and rotated to retain it in the body.
 3. A battery powered toy according to claim 2 in which the toy is a boat and the second tube fans a dummy funnel.
 4. A battery powered toy according to claim 2, further comprising: a motor compartment; the first tube beIng mounted on the motor compartment; a pair of contacts extending from the interior of the battery compartment to the interior of the motor compartment; a first of the said pair of contacts being arranged to contact a terminal of a battery inserted in the compartment and the second of the pair of contacts being connected to the first switch contact.
 5. A battery powered toy according to claim 4 further comprising: a further contact mounted on the said second tube, for contact with a second terminal of the battery; and a connection between the said further contact, and the second switch contact. 